PT Supes; they're all so... seedy!

[jrh]

The pt training supe at my dock has been pushing the pt supe position on me and this other guy that got hired on with me last week. Why would he do that? Why does UPS seem to hire anybody as a supervisor? Is it so they can just fire them later as scapegoats? What's the point of hiring people with no idea (literally no idea) what they're doing? From the sound of it it'd be a while before I had the position but something doesn't sit right with me. Is it so they can just fire me whenever they want, rather than have to deal with the union? What's the deal guys?

Stories?

I want to understand what their motives are, what their incentives are so I can understand what's going on. I don't think I'm going to accept the offer right away because I'm happy loading right now. I think they're going to switch me around to unload next week but I'm not worried about it. I just feel like if I go into management right before peak I'm gonna up, get fired and regret it. Whereas if I just wait, I can get some job security when my probation period is up. I would like to be making fifteen an hour and to be working more hours, but I don't think it's the right time.

Opinions?

 

[upschuck]

You are wise beyond your days at UPS.

 

[ChickenLegs]

They're not going to hire you, spend time and money training you, just to fire you...

If you want the money go for it. The only PT sups that get fired are the all-star superheroes. The mediocre/horrible sups just get moved around.

 

[PT Car Washer]

I have seen PT sups get fired but not all that common. Who would be the scapegoat then? You can always apply for the position later if that is what you want but for now sit back and learn your job.

 

[oldngray]

Seedy? Sup is just makin' bacon.

 

[tadpole]

They just really need part time sups, and its hard to find people willing to sign up, because it is a terrible job and not worth it.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

Seedy? Sup is just makin' bacon.

Look....my Geritol tree is sprouting!

 

[oldngray]

 

[greengrenades]

The pt training supe at my dock has been pushing the pt supe position on me and this other guy that got hired on with me last week. Why would he do that? Why does UPS seem to hire anybody as a supervisor? Is it so they can just fire them later as scapegoats? What's the point of hiring people with no idea (literally no idea) what they're doing? From the sound of it it'd be a while before I had the position but something doesn't sit right with me. Is it so they can just fire me whenever they want, rather than have to deal with the union? What's the deal guys?

Stories?

I want to understand what their motives are, what their incentives are so I can understand what's going on. I don't think I'm going to accept the offer right away because I'm happy loading right now. I think they're going to switch me around to unload next week but I'm not worried about it. I just feel like if I go into management right before peak I'm gonna up, get fired and regret it. Whereas if I just wait, I can get some job security when my probation period is up. I would like to be making fifteen an hour and to be working more hours, but I don't think it's the right time.

Opinions?

First of all don't even think about being a supervisor. DO NOT BE A SUPERVISOR. You will be lower on the totem poll than a newly hired loader. They treat you like garbage, and basically you are going to have to be a scumbag to everyone. As for them asking you, they do that to everyone, they take everyone and anyone they can get. I don't really think they do it to fire you specifically, they just do it because it's a rotating door, the career path is much smaller in management than just staying hourly. You will have 50 part time sups, 10 full time sups, 1 manager, and your not going to move up. Just don't worry about them, and come in and make some money.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

I would wait and try to get a FT job at UPS, while furthering your career outside of UPS. If you can land a FT driving or inside job, you would have leverage to move into FT management (especially with a degree). You may find staying hourly works best.

 

[TheFigurehead]

The pt training supe at my dock has been pushing the pt supe position on me and this other guy that got hired on with me last week. Why would he do that?

That's how it works at UPS. They are well aware that 99% of new hires that spend more than a month or two as package handlers figure out the score pretty quickly, and would sooner quit than become a sup. They know if you are new, they can get you to agree to be a pt sup before you realize you are making a horrible mistake. They are constantly looking for sups because it's a terrible job, and, maybe, one out of 20 will be promoted (if they can smile while being spoonfed $h!+).

A good rule of thumb to follow for UPS, in general, is, if they are pushing people to take a position, it's almost always worse than what you do now (with the exception of being desperate for PC drivers, ocassionally).

 

[bleedinbrown58]

View attachment 17273

 

[jrh]

Hey thanks guys, you've confirmed my initial suspicions. I can tell as a supe i'd be accountable for everything that goes wrong and when some manager wants to put me through the wringer as a supe there's no recourse. I couldn't deal with that kind of stress. Like somebody else said, loading is a great part-time gig for now and getting another job during the day would probably be better than taking the supervisor position if only because there'd be less stress and fear of getting fired.

also the whole job seems so sterile and less stimulating than just doing work. Part of the reason I'm at UPS is so I don't have to do a desk job and so I don't have to deal with people. Honestly stacking boxes is the best job I've found in a long time, I just want more hours.

I just hope I make it through my 30.

 

[jrh]

Haha just as a side mention, some more evidence supes are evil; this morning I was done with my shift at 2:54, clocked out, then my PT supe came up and "just remembered" that some manager wanted to talk to me about misloads. Apparently somebody picked up and loaded some of my "DO NOT LOAD" boxes that I'd been stacking on the dock outside my trailer.

Anyway they get me waiting for him for 20 unpaid minutes, and when I tell the supe I clocked out 20 minutes ago and ask if he can fix it, he said "nah, for sitting in the air conditioning? You only get paid for doing work".

Man, that's why I need to get this 30 days over with. So I can tell them to off and pay me. And so I can have some bargaining power when I confront them about altering my clock in/out times which I can tell these guys do regularly. They just take advantage of every poor sap that goes through the place man

 

[bleedinbrown58]

I have seen PT sups get fired but not all that common. Who would be the scapegoat then? You can always apply for the position later if that is what you want but for now sit back and learn your job.

I've seen waaaay more quit over the years than get fired.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

So I can tell them to off and pay me.

Yeah, that's not gonna happen.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

Haha just as a side mention, some more evidence supes are evil; this morning I was done with my shift at 2:54, clocked out, then my PT supe came up and "just remembered" that some manager wanted to talk to me about misloads. Apparently somebody picked up and loaded some of my "DO NOT LOAD" boxes that I'd been stacking on the dock outside my trailer.

Anyway they get me waiting for him for 20 unpaid minutes, and when I tell the supe I clocked out 20 minutes ago and ask if he can fix it, he said "nah, for sitting in the air conditioning? You only get paid for doing work".

Man, that's why I need to get this 30 days over with. So I can tell them to off and pay me. And so I can have some bargaining power when I confront them about altering my clock in/out times which I can tell these guys do regularly. They just take advantage of every poor sap that goes through the place man

When you are on the bottom of the food chain. You gotta eat some schitz.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

Hey thanks guys, you've confirmed my initial suspicions. I can tell as a supe i'd be accountable for everything that goes wrong and when some manager wants to put me through the wringer as a supe there's no recourse. I couldn't deal with that kind of stress. Like somebody else said, loading is a great part-time gig for now and getting another job during the day would probably be better than taking the supervisor position if only because there'd be less stress and fear of getting fired.

also the whole job seems so sterile and less stimulating than just doing work. Part of the reason I'm at UPS is so I don't have to do a desk job and so I don't have to deal with people. Honestly stacking boxes is the best job I've found in a long time, I just want more hours.

I just hope I make it through my 30.

You getting moved to the unload because of misloads is usually not a good sign in your first 30 days. Especially if you're hungry for more hours. Loaders get more hours than unloaders...unless they're high up on the seniority list.

 

[jrh]

I doubt I'm going to be getting moved just because of misloads. The manager didn't really seem to care that much about it, it's just that I was the one who scanned them so it looked like I was the one who loaded them.

I'd like to just stick to loading because it's what I signed up for but whatever, I'll ride the train wherever it goes.

 

[jrh]

Yeah, that's not gonna happen.

You seem like a really unhappy person in all your posts. Once I make my 30 they are paying me for every minute I'm on the clock bud.